Buddha-nature and Emptiness

WIENER STUDIEN ZUR TIBETOLOGIE UND BUDDHISMUSKUNDE

HEFT 91
Kazuo Kano
Buddha-nature and Emptiness
rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab and
A Transmission of the Ratnagotravibhāga from India to Tibet

WIEN 2016

ARBEITSKREIS FÜR TIBETISCHE UND BUDDHISTISCHE STUDIEN

UNIVERSITÄT WIEN

Table of content

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Introduction

PART I Historical and Doctrinal Background

• Chapter 1 The Authorship of the Ratnagotravibhāga and Its Transmission in India from the 5th to the 10th Century
• Chapter 2 The Resurrection of the Ratnagotravibhāga in India in the Early 11th Century: Maitrīpa and Jñānaśrīmitra
• Chapter 3 Ratnākaraśānti’s Understanding of Buddha-nature
• Chapter 4 The Transmission of the Ratnagotravibhāga in East India from the 11th to the 13th Century: From Prajñākaramati to Vibhūticandra
• Chapter 5 The Kashmiri Tradition of the Ratnagotravibhāga Exegesis in the 11th and 12th Centuries: [[Sajjana]] and his Circle
• Chapter 6 Six Tibetan Translations of the Ratnagotravibhāga
• Conclusion

PART II rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab and His Doctrinal Position

• Chapter 7 The Life and Works of rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab
• Chapter 8 rNgog’s Doctrinal Positions in Relation to Sajjana’s and His Commentarial Style
• Chapter 9 rNgog’s rGyud bla ma'i don bsdus pa as a Reflection of His Own Doctrinal Position
• Conclusion

PART III rNgog’s Impact on Later Developments

• Chapter 10 rNgog’s Impact on Doctrinal Developments from the 11th to the Early 14th Century
• Chapter 11 rNgog’s Impact on Doctrinal Developments from the Late 14th to the 16th Century
• Conclusion

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Resituating rNgog’s Position in a Wider Context

APPENDICES

• Appendix A A Topical Outline ofthe rGyud bla ma'i don bsdus pa
• Appendix B A List of Commentaries of the Ratnagotravibhāga

ABBREVIATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES

INDICES

A Synoptic Outline of This Book

Introduction

Part I: Historical and Doctrinal Background

Chapter 1: The Authorship of the Ratnagotravibhāga and Its Transmission in India from the 5th to the 10th Century

• Basic Textual Materials and Structure of the Ratnagotravibhāga
• The Authorship of the Ratnagotravibhāga
  • The Earliest Witness of the Authorship
  • The Earliest Witness Ascribing Authorship to Maitreya
  • Authorship in Indian Tradition from the 11th Century Onward
  • Studies by Modern Scholars
• Positive Descriptions on the Ultimate and Their Aim in the Ratnagotravibhāga
• Doctrinal Developments within the Ratnagotravibhāga
• The 5th and 6th Centuries: An Approach to the Yogācāra Doctrine
  • The *Mahāyānadharmadhātunirviśeṣa
  • The *Anuttarāśrayasūtra
  • The *Buddhadhātuśāstra
  • The Doctrines of Buddha-nature and Yogācāra
  • The Single Vehicle vs. the Three Vehicles
  • Paramārtha’s Translations 37
• The Late 6th to the 10th Centuries: the Ratnagotravibhāga Disappears from View
  • Mādhyamikas’ Integration of the Buddha-nature Doctrine
• A Summary and Further Considerations

Chapter 2: The Resurrection of the Ratnagotravibhāga in India in the Early 11th Century: Maitrīpa and Jñānaśrīmitra

• Maitrīpa
• Jñānaśrīmitra
  • Quotations from the Ratnagotravibhāga in the Sākārasiddhiśāstra 55
  • Summary of Sākārasiddhiśāstra passages (i)-(8) 67
• A Summary and Further Considerations 69

Chapter 3: Ratnäkarasänti’s Understanding of Buddha-nature 71

• Ratnäkarasänti 71
  • Buddha-nature 74
  • Yänatraya 78
  • The Ekayäna Doctrine Found in Two Works Attributed to Ratnäkarasänti: the Sütrasamuccayabhäsya and Triyänavyavasthäna jq
  • The Säratama s and Kusumänjali’s Interpretations ofAbhisamayälamkära I.39 8°
  • The Sütrasamuccayabhäsyds Interpretation of Abhisamayälamkära I.39 82
  • The Authorship of the Sütrasamuccayabhäsya and Triyänavyavasthäna 85
  • References to the Ratnagotravibhāga Found in the Sütrasamuccayabhäsya 87
• A Summary and Further Considerations 95

Chapter 4: The Transmission of the Ratnagotravibhāga in East India from the 11th to 13th Century:From Prajnäkaramati to Vibhüticandra 97

• Prajnäkaramati 97
• Atisa 98
• Yamâri 101
• Vairocanaraksita 103
• Rämapäla 105
• Sahajavajra 108
• Abhayäkaragupta 108
• Zhi ba ’byung gnas 124
• Dasabalasrimitra 126
• Ratnaraksita 127
• Vibhüticandra 130
• A Summary and Further Considerations 132

Chapter 5: The Kashmiri Tradition of the Ratnagotravibhāga Exegesis in the 11th and 12th Centuries: Sajjana and his Circle 135

• Sajjana 135
• Mahäjana 139 Amrtäkara 144
• Jayänanda 148
• A Summary and Further Considerations 152

Chapter 6: Six Tibetan Translations of the Ratnagotravibhāga 155

• The Translation by Atisa and Nag-tsho 156
• The Translation by rNgog and Sajjana 163
• The Translation by Pa-tshab 167
• The Translation by Mar-pa Do-pa Chos-kyi-dbang-phyug 171
• The Translation by Jo-nang Lo-tsä-ba Blo-gros-dpal 172
• The Translation by Yar-klungs Lo-tsä-ba 176
• How Did Tibetans study the SanskritText ofthe Ratnagotravibhāga? —TibetanRemarksFoundinaRatnagotravibhāgaSanskritManuscript 177
• A Summary and Further Considerations 178

Conclusion to Chapters 1-6 181

Part II: rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab and His Doctrinal Position 189

Chapter 7: The Life and Works of rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab 191

• A Translation of Las-chen Kun-dga’-rgyal-mtshan’s Sketch of rNgog’s Life 193
• The Tibetan Text: Las-chen Kun-dga’-rgyal-mtshan, bKa gdams chos 'byung 197
• Other Episodes 198
• Works 202
  • A List of rNgog’s Writings 202
• The Spread of the Teaching of the gSang phu Tradition in Mi nyag and rNgog’s Letter Addressed to a Community in Tsong kha 208
• The Composition of rNgog’s Concise Guide to the Ratnagotravibhdga 210

Chapter 8: rNgog’s Doctrinal Positions in Relation to Sajjana’s and His Commentarial Style 211

• Problems Associated with the Buddha-nature Doctrine of the Ratnagotravibhdga 212
• Sajjana’s Doctrinal Position 215
• Textual Materials relating to Sajjana’s Mahayanottaratantrasdstropadesa 217
• Previous Studies of the Mahayänottaratantrasästropadesa 218
• A Structural Analysis of the Mahäyänottaratantrasästropadesa 219
• An Outline of the Mahdyänottaratantrasästropadesa 221
• Sajjana’s Soteriological Schemas on the Ratnagotravibhdga 226
• rNgog’s Doctrinal Position 228
• rNgog’s Commentarial Style 233
• The Commentarial Style and Techniques Characteristic of rNgog’s Concise Guides 234
• An Evaluation of rNgog’s Commentarial Style within the Wider History ofTibetan Buddhism 238
• A Summary and Further Considerations 239

Chapter 9: rNgog’s rGyud bla ma’i don bsdus pa as a Reflection of His Own Doctrinal Position 241

• Previous Studies 241
• A Description of Materials relating to the rGyud bla ma’i don bsdus pa 243
  • The dbu med Handwritten Manuscript 243
  • Other Extant Handwritten Manuscripts 244
  • The Block Print 245
  • Phywa-pa’s Ratnagotravibhdga Commentary 246
• Works Quoted in the rGyudbla mai don bsduspa 247
• rNgog’s Structural Analysis of the Contents of the Ratnagotravibhdga 248
• An Evaluation ofthe Ratnagotravibhāga among Maitreya’s Corpus of Five Treatises 249
• The Seven vajrapadas and the Soteriological Models of the Ratnagotravibhāga 251
  • The Ratnagotravibhāga's Presentation of Its Main Topic 252
  • The Cycle of apratisthitanirvdna 255
  • The Cycle of the Three Jewels 256
    • The Indirect Cause 256
    • The Direct Cause 258
• Eight Qualities of the Jewel of the Sangha 260
• rNgog’s Position on the Buddha-nature Doctrine 261
  • The Three Aspects of Buddha-nature: dharmakäya, tathatä, gotra 262
  • Buddha-nature/Emptiness as a Cause 266
  • Buddha-nature and the Älayavijnäna 268
  • The Ontological Status of the Buddha-qualities: An Interpretation of RGV I.154- 155 270
  • The Relation between the Doctrines of Emptiness and the Buddha-nature Doctrine: An Interpretation of RGV 1.156-167 273
• A Summary and Further Considerations 274

Conclusion to Chapters 7-9 277

Part III: rNgog’s Impact on Later Developments 283

Chapter 10: rNgog’s Impact on Doctrinal Developments from the 11th to the Early 14th Century 285

• An Overview of Later Tibetan Scholars’ Reactions to rNgog’s Position 285
• Details of Later Reactions 291
• Gro-lung-pa Blo-gros-’byung-gnas 291
  • Gro-lung-pa’s Writings 291
  • Gro-lung-pa on the Ultimate Truth 292
  • Gro-lung-pa on the Three Aspects of Buddha-nature 293
  • Gro-lung pa on the Gotra 294
• Phywa-pa Chos-kyi-seng-ge 296
  • Phywa-pa’s Writings 296
  • Phywa-pa’s Ratnagotravibhāga Commentaries 298
  • Phywa-pa’s Positions That Accord with rNgog’s 299
  • Phywa-pa’s Positions That Develop rNgog’s Further 300
    • The Älayavijnäna 300
    • MistakenViewson EmptinessandYogācāra 301
    • Buddha-nature and Emptiness 302
    • A Definition of the Two Kinds of Gotra 303
    • On the Ultimate Truth 308
• Sa-skya Pandita Kun-dga’-rgyal-mtshan 309
• bCom-ldan-ral-gri 311
  • bCom-ldan-ral-gri as a gZhan stong Forerunner 311
  • bCom-ldan-ral-gri’s Position as Reflected in His RGV Commentary 314
  • bCom-ldan-ral-gri’s Refutation of the *Amalavijnâna 316
  • bCom-ldan-ral-gri on RGV V.19 319
• Blo-gros-mtshungs-med 320
  • Who is Blo-gros-mtshungs-med? 320
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med on the Five Treatises ofMaitreya 324
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med on the Vajrapadas 325
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med on the Worship of Srâvakas 325
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med on RGV 1.28 327
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med’s Own Position on Buddha-nature 329
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med on the Gotra 334
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med on the Nine Similes of Buddha-nature 335
  • Blo-gros-mtshungs-med’s Contributions 335
• Bu-ston Rin-chen-grub 336
• sGra-tshad-pa Rin-chen-rnam-rgyal 338
• A Summary and Further Considerations 340

Chapter 11: rNgog’s Impact on Doctrinal Developments from the Late 14th to the 16th Century 345

• Rong-ston Shäkya-rgyal-mtshan 345
• rGyal-tshab Dar-ma-rin-chen 349
  • rGyal-tshab on RGV I.27 349
  • rGyal-tshab on the Seven Vajrapadas 351
  • rGyal-tshab on Verse V.19 352
  • rGyal-tshab on the Alayavijnâna 352
• ’Gos Lo-tsä-ba gZhon-nu-dpal 352
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on the Two Cycles 354
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on the Eight Qualities of the Jewel of the Saiigha 355
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on RGV I.27 and 28 355
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on the Ten Buddha-nature Topics 357
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on RGV I.130 358
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on the Postscript to the First Chapter of the RGV 359
  • gZhon-nu-dpal on RGV V.19 359
• gSer-mdog Pan-chen Shäkya-mchog-ldan 360
  • Shäkya-mchog-ldan’s Classification of Various Positions 361
  • A Sketch of Shäkya-mchog-ldan’s Position 363
  • Shäkya-mchog-ldan on the Seven Vajrapadas 364
  • Shäkya-mchog-ldan on RGV 1.27 and 28 365
  • Shäkya-mchog-ldan on Non-affirming Negation 368
  • Shäkya-mchog-ldan on the Two Truths 369
  • Shäkya-mchog-ldan’s Mus rabs ’byamspa’i dris lan 370
• Pan-chen bSod-nams-grags-pa 372
  • bSod-nams-grags-pa on the Seven Vajrapadas 373
  • bSod-nams-grags-pa on the Jewel of the Saṅgha 373
  • bSod-nams-grags-pa on RGV 1.27 374

• A Summary and Further Considerations 375

Conclusion to Chapters 10 and 11 379

Final Considerations: Resituating rNgog’s Position within a Wider Context 385

• rNgog’s Struggle to Do Away with the Ontological Aspect of the Buddha-nature Doc¬ trine 392

Appendices 393

• Appendix A: A Topical Outline of the rGyud bla ma'i don bsduspa 395
• Appendix B: A List of Commentaries on the Ratnagotmvibhaga 405

Abbreviations 415

Bibliographies 417

• Primary Sources by Indie Authors 417
• Primary Sources by Tibetan Authors 423
• Secondary Sources 432

Indices 461

• Indie Personal Names 462
• Tibetan Personal Names 464
• Indie Work Tides 469
• TibetanWorkTides 476
• Chinese Personal Names and Work Tides 478
• Toponyms 479 General Index 480